Shane van Gisbergen secured a commanding victory in the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, reinforcing his reputation as a dominant road course competitor. The New Zealand driver led 66 of the 79 laps on the 1.99-mile, 11-turn circuit, ultimately crossing the finish line 1.324 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Connor Zilisch.

Van Gisbergen’s triumph marked his second win at Sonoma in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the sixth career victory, all achieved on road or street courses. His performance included a strategic short-pit on Lap 43 during the second stage, allowing him to regain the lead after the stage break. From that point on, he managed his fuel consumption carefully while maintaining a steady gap over Zilisch.

Zilisch overcame a challenging start, having to move up from the back of the field twice to secure his runner-up position. The strong showing by both drivers helped JR Motorsports extend its streak to 76 consecutive races with at least one car finishing in the top 10, narrowing the gap to the all-time series record held by RFK Racing, which stands at 79 events from 2008 to 2010.

In the final lap, Zilisch closed in as van Gisbergen appeared content to run behind lapped traffic, preserving his lead to the finish. After the race, van Gisbergen acknowledged the importance of his fuel management strategy and praised the performance of his car throughout the event. “Luckily enough, I think I saved enough early,” he said, adding that while the race might not have been the most thrilling from a spectator’s perspective, it was satisfying to maintain control at the front.

Van Gisbergen celebrated with his signature rugby ball kick into the grandstands, marking another milestone for the team and underscoring his prowess on road courses within the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.